Taylor’s checkerspot caterpillar. Photo: Pourya Sardari
In the quiet corners of the Greater Vancouver Zoo where WPC’s conservation team are working away, before the final frost of the winter, a rustling begins. From within their tightly-curled paper towel hideaways, where they have been motionless for over six months, tiny Taylor’s checkerspot caterpillars begin to awake from their winter slumber.
These little ones have spent their last half a year in diapause, a dormant state where they conserve energy after the plants they eat dry up in early August.
But what happens when we intervene, when we nurture these tiny creatures through their delicate stages of growth in the safety of our facility, only to release them to nature, and watch them wiggle off into the vast expanse of the wild?
The process of releasing caterpillars to restored habitat begins with a simple observation the year before—pairing up male and female checkerspots in our conservation breeding program and watching females deposit a tiny egg cluster which clings to the underside of a leaf. With gentle hands and keen eyes, we collect these creatures, provide them with appropriate food, temperature, humidity and a safe place to diapause until the following very early spring.
Releasing caterpillars is a profound act, one that transcends the simple notion of letting go. It’s a celebration of life, a testament to the resilience and beauty of nature. As we open our palms and watch these tiny beings embark on their journey, we are reminded of the cyclical nature of existence, the perpetual dance of birth, growth, and renewal.
